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Edition 36
15.11.2021 • 21.11.2021
Wool is the leitmotif of this week's edition and Covilhã, recently included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, is the epicentre of this wool universe.
Covilhã, Factory City
Covilhã is a quite original example of a “factory city”, a geographical and historical profile that would remain unaltered until the 80’s with the downfall of the wool industry. Wool has inspired the most amazing street art creations that can be seen throughout the city, colourful statements of a city heading to the future. There are also former wool factories that were brought to life again, producing the most innovative sustainable items. Or empowering projects such as "Queijeiras" (women cheese-makers) that will help more than 40 women of 9 different counties improving their education. Past and future woven together.
Wool Museum of the University of Beira Interior
In 1982, the Wool Museum of the University of Beira Interior was opened in the building of the old Covilhã Royal Textile Factory dye house and the old Veiga Royal Factory. The goal of this museum of science and technology is to preserve the region’s textile industry heritage and nowadays it has become the interpretive centre of the Wool Rout Translana which has an emphasis on Covilhã but doesn’t leave out towns like Manteigas, Gouveia, Seia, Pinhel, Guarda and Penamacor.
Puralã - Wool Valley Hotel & Spa
Puralã Wool Valley Hotel & Spa is located in the city of Covilhã, in Serra da Estrela, 3 hours drive away from Lisbon and Porto Airports. It’s a boutique and lifestyle hotel that pays tribute to the memory of the wool textile industry and the identity of Covilhã, being wool the leitmotif of the hotel’s entire décor.
Burel Factory
Like all the good fairy tales, Burel Factory has a story that combines amazing landscapes, surprising turning points, passionate characters and, of course, love.It all started in 2006 when Isabel Dias da Costa and João Tomás, two Portuguese amateur hikers, both with successful careers in Lisbon fell in love with the breathtaking scenery of Penhas Douradas and decided they would no longer leave this place. They left their jobs in the city and embraced the tranquility and peace of Penhas Douradas.
A Transformadora
A Transformadora, Fábrica do Pisão Novo, bought by Burel Factory, has a long history in Covilhã, the “City Built in Wool”. With the processing of loose wool, yarns and fabric, A Transformadora is now renewing its vision of the future for the wool industry, as a leading textile company specialised in wool finishing and dyeing.
WOOL
The small town of Covilhã at the foothill of Serra da Estrela is the epicentre of the street art scene in Center of Portugal. WOOL is also the name of the first festival for street art in Center of Portugal, which has been held annually since 2011 with the help of many local volunteers.
Queijeiras
The project Queijeiras (Women cheese-makers) is developed by the Mountain Villages network in partnership with the designer Sandra Pinho and Burel Factory. It is simultaneously a tribute to the crucial role played by the women who work so hard in cheese-making, creating the cheese of Serra da Estrela region, an outstanding product with national and international recognition, but also a means of financing their training courses.